1972–73 South Pacific cyclone season

Seasonal summary

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AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/10/1972 till:01/05/1973 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/10/1972 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TDi value:rgb(0,0.52,0.84) legend:Tropical_Disturbance id:TD value:rgb(0.43,0.76,0.92) legend:Tropical_Depression id:C1 value:rgb(0.3,1,1) legend:Category_1_=63-87_km/h(39-54_mph) id:C2 value:rgb(0.75,1,0.75) legend:Category_2_=88-142_km/h(55-74_mph) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.85,0.55) legend:Category_3_=143-158-km/h(75-98_mph) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.45,0.54) legend:Category_4_=159–204_km/h(99–127_mph) id:C5 value:rgb(0.55,0.46,0.9) legend:Category_5_=≥205_km/h(≥128_mph)

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PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:19/10/1972 till:28/10/1972 color:C3 text:"Bebe" from:02/11/1972 till:03/11/1972 color:C1 text:"Collette" from:08/12/1972 till:18/12/1972 color:C3 text:"Diana" from:14/01/1973 till:18/01/1973 color:C1 text:"Felicity" from:31/01/1973 till:07/02/1973 color:C2 text:"Elenore" from:31/01/1973 till:01/02/1973 color:C1 text:"Glenda" from:28/02/1973 till:02/03/1973 color:C1 text:"Henrietta" from:02/04/1973 till:06/04/1973 color:C2 text:"Juliette"

bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/10/1972 till:01/11/1972 text:October from:01/11/1972 till:01/12/1972 text:November from:01/12/1972 till:01/01/1973 text:December from:01/01/1973 till:01/02/1973 text:January from:01/02/1973 till:01/03/1973 text:February from:01/03/1973 till:01/04/1973 text:March from:01/04/1973 till:01/05/1973 text:April TextData = pos:(569,23) text:"(For further details, please see" pos:(713,23) text:" scales)"

Systems

Severe Tropical Cyclone Bebe

Main article: Cyclone Bebe

|10-min winds=85 |1-min winds=110

Tropical Cyclone Bebe was a pre-season storm that impacted the Gilbert, Ellice, and Fiji island groups. First spotted on October 20, the system intensified and grew in size through October 22. Its course began along a south-southwest trajectory before recurving near the 14th parallel south, which resulted in a south-southeast motion through the western portion of the Fiji island group. It became the first cyclone to impact Fiji since 1952. On October 24, winds of 150 kn or more were reported on Rotuma and Viti Levu. Cyclone Bebe passed through Funafuti on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22 October 1972. At about 4 p.m. on the 21st, sea water was bubbling through the coral on the airfield with the water reaching a height of about 4 –5 feet high. The Ellice Islands Colony's ship Moanaraoi was in the lagoon and survived, however 3 tuna boats were wrecked. Waves broke over the atoll. Five people died, two adults and a 3 month old child were swept away by waves, and two sailors from the tuna boats were drowned. Cyclone Bebe knocked down 90% of the houses and trees. The storm surge created a wall of coral rubble along the ocean side of Funafuti and Funafala that was about ten to twelve miles long, and about ten to twenty feet thick at the bottom. The cyclone submerged Funafuti and sources of drinking water were contaminated as a result of the system's storm surge and fresh water flooding. After passing by the archipelago, Bebe transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, with the remnants last noted on October 28. A total of 28 people died and thousands were left homeless. Damages totaled $20 million (1972 USD).

Tropical Cyclone Collette

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=35 Collette existed from November 2 to November 3.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Diana

|10-min winds=70 |1-min winds=85 Diana existed from December 6 to December 18.

Tropical Cyclone Felicity

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=40 Felicity existed from January 14 to January 18.

Tropical Cyclone Elenore

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=55 Elenore existed from January 31 to February 7.

Tropical Cyclone Glenda

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=35 Glenda existed from January 31 to February 1.

Tropical Cyclone Henrietta

|10-min winds=40 |1-min winds=45

Tropical Cyclone Juliette

|10-min winds=55 |1-min winds=35 Juliette existed from April 2 to April 6.

Seasonal effects

|- | Bebe || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#|85 kn || bgcolor=#|945 hPa || Tuvalu, Fiji || || || |- | Collette || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|990 hPa || || || || |- | Diana || || bgcolor=#| || bgcolor=#|70 kn || bgcolor=#|965 hPa || || || || |- | Felicity || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|990 hPa || || || || |- | Elenore || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || Fiji, Tonga || || || |- | Glenda || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|990 hPa || || || || |- | Henrietta || || bgcolor=#|Category 1 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|40 kn || bgcolor=#|990 hPa || || || || |- | Juliette || || bgcolor=#|Category 2 tropical cyclone || bgcolor=#|55 kn || bgcolor=#|980 hPa || Fiji, Tonga || || || |-

References

References

1. Bureau of Meteorology (1975) ''Tropical Cyclones in the Northern Australian Regions 1971-1972'' Australian Government Publishing Service
2. (5 October 2009). "Hurricane Bebe 1972". Tuvalu and the Hurricanes: ‘The Hurricane in Funafuti, Tuvalu’ by Pasefika Falani (Pacific Frank).
3. Elwyn E. Wilson. (January 1973). "October Hurricane Clobbers Fiji". [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]].